To Fix a Broken Heart
by TMNT-Queen
Summary: Raph thinks he has it bad, until he meets a girl that's been through so much worse. On the fateful night that could change everything, Raph makes the decision to help her. But can he save her fiery spirit, so much like his own? Or will that spark in her electric green eyes go out like a candle in a hurricane?
1. Chapter One: Sam

_Hey, guys! Queen here!_

 _To all you people who chose of their own free will to come here and read my new story, I thank you so very much. It means a lot to me._

 _I can't promise that I'll update this all the time. I have the first six or so chapters already written out, so those will go up pretty soon. But I'll try and update at least once every two weeks after those go up._

 _Please read and review this story; I want to get better at writing. You are the stone on which I sharpen my mind and my writing tools. So please don't hesitate to let me know your feelings!_

 _P.S. Just gonna throw this out here; it's a suggestion, nothing more! If you haven't checked out my other books yet, please do! I promise you won't regret it. ;)_

 _Without further ado, I give you..."To Fix a Broken Heart."_

 ** _Quick Warning: This book deals with certain darker themes. If you are sensitive to such events, please don't hate me. Read at your own risk._**

* * *

 **Prologue**

"You stupid girl..."

"Why don't you just kill yourself already? For all of the good that it would do."

"I mean, at least then you'll be filling your proper place. A hole six feet under."

My eyes water, but I blink back the tears. I've heard these insults often enough that their words get in my head, twisting my thoughts and making me wish that I was never born. And they know it, too.

"Hey, idiot. You ignoring me?" Matt Sanders, the most popular jock at Roosevelt High, steps in my way, forcing me to acknowledge him. His group of peroxide-blonde cheerleading girls and the rest of the football team circle around me, keeping me from running and hiding.

"What do you want?" I ask sharply.

"You takin' a tone with me, now?" he says, raising an eyebrow. His eyes glint coldly.

"Just leave me alone. Please."

Matt sneers. "Aw, the freak is gonna cry."

Desperately, I look for a way around Matt and his gang. There isn't one. The cheerleaders are smirking and jeering at me. "Hey, emo girl. You cut your hair yourself? It looks like roadkill."

"That's not the only thing she cuts," another blonde says nastily. "She probably has scars all over her wrists."

Unconsciously, I tug my sleeves farther down on my arms. "Stop," I whisper.

"You on any meds, freak? You should just kill yourself already."

"Please..." My lower lip quivers.

"Go ahead, freak. Cry." Matt grins sadistically.

Without another word, I push through the crowd of students and run down the hall. There words echo after me.

 _Freak._

 _Useless._

 _Pathetic._

A small whimper escapes my mouth as I hide in a little-used janitor's closet. With shaking hands, I pull out a small razor blade from my pocket and press it to my skin, craving relief. As warm, sticky blood trickles down my arm, tears coat my face.

Welcome to my life.

* * *

 **Chapter One: Sam**

"Samantha, may I speak with you for a moment?"

I can't disguise my wince as my English teacher, Mr. Hall, calls my name. A few of the students around me snicker and mutter insults.

 _"I bet she's getting sent to the principal's office."_

 _"Maybe she'll drop out."_

 _"Her grades are lousy, anyway."_

 _"And at least if she does, we won't have to look at her ugly face anymore."_

Tears sting at my eyelids, and I swallow, then make my way up to Mr. Hall's desk. "Yes, sir?"

He looks concerned. "Are you all right, Samantha?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Your grades are slipping," he replies. "You're one of the smartest students that I have, Sam. So something must be bothering you. Are your parents okay?'

I want to pour everything out to him. How my dad is a violent drunk, and my mom runs around with other men so she's never home to protect me from my father's anger. How every day, I'm getting closer and closer to the thought of killing myself. But I know that if I do tell him, I'll be sent to live in a foster home or something. I don't have any other family.

If I do tell him, Dad will only beat me more.

"They're fine," I say. The lie rolls right off my tongue, smooth as glass.

"Then there's another reason," Mr. Hall concludes. He leans forward and places his elbows on his desk, pushing up his glasses. "Sam...You need to bring your grades up. If you don't, you won't be able to get into those colleges that you want."

My hands clench into fists inside my sleeves. I know that, too. "Yes, sir. Can I go?"

Mr. Hall sighs. "Yes. But Sam..."

I pause on my way out the door. "Yes?"

"You need to trust _someone._ "

"Yes, sir." With a nod, I leave the classroom, heading for the freedom that waits for me outside. The school hallways are empty for once, which I'm grateful for.

Once I'm outside, I head to the old playground near one of the city's alleyways. No one ever comes here, and I'll have peace and solitude for a few hours, at least. As the cool autumn breeze blows loose strands of hair around my face, my eyes close.

I wake, disoriented, to the darkness of the night. My eyes widen as horror builds within me, and I bolt up off of the old bench. _Dad's gonna kill me._

My feet make slapping sounds on the hard concrete sidewalks as I run, trying to make it to my apartment before Dad gets home from his "job." And by job, I mean playing poker with his sleazy friends.

While I'm running, the sky opens and rain begins to pour down, drenching me and my backpack. "Awesome," I mutter. "There's no way this night can get any worse."

And then, because the very universe seems to hate me, it does. Just as I round the corner near my apartment, I run into the local group of Purple Dragons.

Hun sneers. "Hey, sweetheart. You look like you could use some fun."

My hands shake, and I shove them into my pockets. "What do you want, Hun?"

"The money I know you've got."

My eyes widen. The only money I have is a ten, which is crumpled up in my back pocket. And if I don't have that money to give to my dad...it won't be pretty. "I don't have any," I lie.

He knows it, too, because he snaps his fingers and two of his goons shove me up against the brick wall of the alleyway. Hun gets so close to me that I feel his hot breath on my face. "We can either do this the easy way or the hard way, Sam."

In answer, I spit in his face. The glob lands on his cheek, and he wipes it away without a change in expression.

"Hard way it is."

Ten minutes later, I'm limping into my apartment with a black eye and an empty back pocket. When I get into the living room, I find my dad waiting for me.

"Well?" he asks, holding out a hand.

"I don't have it," I tell him, my hands shaking again.

His temper snaps, and he shoves me. "What?"

"I-I don't-"

Dad's hand flies so fast that I don't see it until it connects with my cheek. Pain shoots across my face, and tears well up in my eyes. "Try again."

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I got mugged, and-"

"Stupid girl!" he roars, pushing me into the wall. His hands go around my neck, cutting off my air supply. "Useless waste of space!"

I claw at his hand, desperately trying to get air. "P-Please," I croak. "D-Don't..."

With a disgusted look, Dad throws me onto the floor, where I lay gasping for breath. "You're worthless," he mutters. Through my graying vision, I see his boots head down the hall. His bedroom door slams a minute later.

I lay there on the floor in a fetal position for a long time. Eventually, I stumble to my room and crawl out of the window onto the fire escape and up to the roof. Tears course down my face again as I scream, and I bury my head in my knees.

Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth trying anymore.

I've read questions before asking what depression is like. I guess that's what I'm going through now. But what's it like?

Imagine screaming as loud as you can, but no one hears you. No one cares. You're always lonely, always alone, no matter how many people are around you. No one can help you.

It's like dying.

And that's what I'm doing, slowly, day by day. Little pieces of me disappear. I'm lost. I'm broken. And no one is around to hear me scream.

 **Please review.**


	2. Chapter Two: Raph

**Chapter Two: Raph**

Have you ever wished that you could un-see something that you never meant - or wanted - to see in the first place? That's happening to me more and more lately.

On this particular night, I'm out trying to cool my head. Fearless Leader insists upon bossing me around. And I'm getting tired of it.

* * *

 **~ Flashback ~**

 _"Hey, Raph? Have you seen my limited-edition kick-action unicorn man?"_

 _I groaned and rolled my eyes. "No, Mikey. I haven't."_

 _Mikey pouted. "I can't find it anywhere!"_

 _"Did you look in that dump you call a room?" I asked, my tone sarcastic and biting._

 _He made a face at me. "Not funny, Raph."_

 _"I thought it was pretty funny." I smirked._

 _"That's 'cuz you're a bloated buffalo," he muttered._

 _My eyes flashed. "Take it back."_

 _"No."_

 _And just like that, my temper snapped. I tackled Mikey to the ground and started to pummel him. "Take it back!"_

 _Unfortunately, the moment that I had almost beaten my stupid brother was the moment that Leo chose to enter the room. He immediately noticed what was going on, and pulled me away from Mikey forcefully. "Raph, knock it off!"_

 _I sneered at my older brother. "What are you gonna do about it?"_

 _Leo's frown deepened, and he crossed his arms. "Raph, we've talked about this. You need to learn to control your temper."_

 _"You're **not** my father!" I snapped. "So stop acting like it!"_

 _"You need guidance!"_

 _"Not like this! Not from you!"_

 _"Raph-"_

 _"Stuff it. I'm done." I stormed past Leo and out of the Lair, heading up to the surface._

 _Neither of my brothers came after me._

 **~ End of Flashback ~**

* * *

And now I find myself sitting across from a small, filthy apartment, watching a teenage girl cry. I watched her own father beat her senseless, almost strangle her, and then throw her onto the dirty floor. Watched the girl lay there for about half an hour, nearly unconscious. Watched her crawl out onto the fire escape. Watched her scream in frustration and sadness.

 _Some people have it worse than you,_ a tiny voice in my head says.

 _Shut up,_ I tell it.

 _You should go talk to her,_ it insists.

 _She's a human,_ I retort. _They're afraid of us._

 _She needs a friend,_ the voice continues.

 _I'm sure she has plenty of friends._

But doubt starts nagging at my mind. After three minutes of arguing with myself, I groan, banging my head on a nearby vent. "Fine. I'll go check on her."

 _That's what a hero does,_ the voice says softly.

And maybe it's not a good thing for me to have a voice inside my head. A weak grin crawls onto my face at this. _I'm going crazy._ No wonder Leo was concerned.

As quietly as possible, I make my way across the alley and onto the fire escape balcony above the girl. My eyes widen at the things she's saying.

"I should just die...like they say. I'm not worth anything, anyway. Who's gonna want a girl like me? I'm damaged goods." Then she takes something from her pocket. Something that glints in the dim light from the moon above. The girl presses it to her skin, and red streams from the cut.

Before I can stop myself, I'm next to the girl, pulling the blade out of her hand. "Don't!"

She freezes. Stares at me. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth hangs open. "You're...you're..."

My pulse pounds in my ears. "Don't freak out. Please don't freak out."

She doesn't scream, much to my shock. "You're a turtle."

"Yeah..." I say slowly. "You're not going to scream or anything? No cowering away?"

And then she laughs. It's a sound that makes my heart swell, and instantly, I want to make her laugh again just so I can hear it. "I'm not going to scream." The girl studies me with big green eyes, a thoughtful look on her face. "So why the weapons? You do Kung-Fu or something?"

"I'm a ninja turtle." My chest puffs up a little. "The name's Hamato Raphael, but my brothers call me Raph."

She smiles slightly, hesitantly. It's a fragile smile, as if she's not used to using it. "Samantha Fairchild. But most people call me Sam."

 _Sam._ "I like that name." I glance down at my hand, where the razor blade still sits. "Why do you do this to yourself?"

"What else is there for me to do?" Sam asks. "I'm just...never mind."

"Sam..." I don't know why, but I find myself wanting to protect her. Protect this fragile girl, who's been hurt too much. "Tell me."

"Tell you?" She snorts, emotions strewn across her face. "I just met you. I don't think you're entitled to know anything."

A spark of annoyance flares up within me, but I shove it deep down inside. Instead of lashing out, as her father did, I just climb onto the railing of the fire escape and jump across the alley to the next one.

"Wait!" Sam calls. "Where are you going?"

"I have to go home," I reply quickly, slipping the razor blade into my belt.

"But-" She stops, cutting herself off.

"Maybe I'll come back." A smile slides onto my face, my trademarked smirk. Then an idea appears in my mind. I jump back onto her balcony and grab her wrist.

"W-What are you doing?" Sam asks, trying to pull away. She winces at the contact made with her skin.

I whip out a pen and write my phone number on her hand. "In case you need to talk," I explain. Then I catapult myself onto the roof and head towards the Lair.

Behind me, Sam watches me go. Her gaze is full of wonder and maybe a small bit of hope. She glances down at the number scrawled on her hand. "Thanks, Raph," she whispers.

 **Please review.**


	3. Chapter Three: Sam

**Chapter Three: Sam**

There's a small smile on my face as I climb back down the fire escape and through my window. A smile which disappears as soon as I step foot in my bedroom.

"What were you doing up there?" Dad growls.

My face pales as I try to think up a believable lie. I grasp the shred of a thought. "I was trying to see the stars, like Mom and I used to do."

The anger that rages in Dad's eyes is unmistakable, and his hand cracks across my face again. I fall, hitting the floor and holding my stinging cheek. "Don't. Mention. Her. Name. Understand?"

"Yes," I whisper.

"Yes, what?"

"What?" My eyes widen and I stare at him.

"Yes, _sir,"_ Dad finishes, his mouth turning up in a mean smirk.

"Yes, sir," I echo him, afraid to anger him more.

He stalks to the door of my room. "I'm hungry. Get your butt in there and make me some dinner."

I hurry past him, suddenly aware of just how much stronger he is than me. "Yes sir. What do you want?"

"Steak."

My heart pounds as I dig through the fridge. "We don't have any."

"Then go buy some," Dad snaps.

"B-But we don't have any money right now to-"

"Use your college money."

The blood drains from my face. "What?" My hands start to shake.

"You deaf now? I said use your college money."

"But that's for...that's for college. If I use that-"

Dad's hands clench into fists and he looms over me. "Use. That. Money."

Quick as lightning, he slaps me again, and my head snaps to the side. "I'm going out. I'll be back around seven. If that steak isn't done when I get home..." The door slams behind him on his way out.

I make my way down the hall to my room, then grab my phone, keys, and some of the college money I'd been saving. My feet carry me down the stairs and out into the crisp air.

I'm shivering in the cold, and I wish that I'd brought my jacket. _Stupid._ And then Dad's mocking voice rolls through my mind again, and my lower lip starts to quiver. _I'll never get away from him...never._

Before I know what I'm doing, I've plugged Raph's number into my phone and pressed send.

He picks up almost immediately. _"Sam?"_

"Raph...I-I need you..."

Raph doesn't even hesitate. _"All right. I'm on my way. Where are you?"_

Five minutes later, I'm standing in a dark, secluded alleyway, pouring everything out to Raph. The red-masked turtle is silent as he digests what I'm telling him.

"So what happened?"

"He told me to use my college money," I whisper. My eyes fill with tears. "Raph...if I use that money, I'll never get away from him...and he knows that. He'll always be able to control me."

"No, he won't," Raph says fiercely. "I'm going to do something about it."

"You can't!" The level of desperation in my voice surprises both of us. "Raph, think about it! My dad is the kind of person to use anything to his advantage. If he knew about you, he'd tell everyone."

I can tell that Raph is at war with himself. His basic instinct is to protect me, but he knows he can't. Finally, he sighs and pulls something from his belt, pressing it into my hand.

I look down and my eyes widen. He's given me at least forty dollars. "Raph...I can't take this. It's yours."

Raph shakes his head. "You need it more than I do."

"But-"

"Please, Sam. Take it. It's for your dinner."

I frown and hand him half of the money back. "Here. I'll take the rest, but I don't need all of it."

A small smile crosses Raph's face and he takes the money, stuffing it into his belt again. "If you ever need it, though..."

A laugh bubbles up out of my throat, surprising me. In the two times I've seen Raph, he's made me laugh at least twice. "Okay. I have to go. Dad said that if dinner isn't on the table by seven..."

Raph's smile dims, but he nods. "All right. Be careful, Sam."

"I will." I turn and head to the store. When I get out with my bags of groceries, I feel someone's eyes on me. No one is there when I look around, though.

As soon as I turn the corner near my apartment, I'm dragged into an alleyway. The bags of groceries fall to the dirty ground, and everything spills out.

Hun and the other Dragons smile at me menacingly. A few of them casually lift their weapons. "Hello, Sam."

"I do not have time for this!" I snap, charging at Hun. Two of the Dragons grab me and hold me in place.

The leader laughs and traces his finger down my jaw line, making me shudder. "You've been talking with one of the freaks."

"How did you...?"

Hun smirks. "I know so much else about you, Sam...Tell me, does the turtle know that your father was in the F-"

"Shut up!"

He dodges my pathetic attempt at kicking him, laughing again. "So you haven't told him." Within two seconds, Hun's eyes grow cold. "Tell me where the freak lives, and I'll let you go."

"I don't know! And even if I did, what makes you think I'd tell you?"

Hun kicks me in the stomach and I gasp. I would've fallen except for the two goons holding me up. "Try again."

"I. Don't. Know!"

His hands clench and he launches an attack on me that leaves me breathless and in major pain. "Try. Again." I say nothing, and he kicks me again, in the ribs this time. I hear a _crack_ and pain shoots through my body. "Tell me!" he screams.

At this point, I'm nearly unconscious from my injuries. I'm bleeding in multiple places, and I can't breathe properly. The edges of my vision darken, and the Dragons toss me on the ground.

"Leave her here to die," Hun says coldly.

As they walk away, I hear someone in the alleyway nearby. "Sam?" Raph leans over me, his expression devastated. He picks me up gently. "Hang on. I'll get you to Donnie. You'll be okay."

Just before I pass out, I hear the last thing Raph says.

 _"I promise."_


End file.
